Check swing hinge



June 21, 1949. RlEMER CHECK SWING HINGE Filed Jan. 19, 1946 v M 4 4e Geo/j? @z'e/zze/ @i WM (WI/A 11 Patented June 21, 1949 UNI TED STAT ES FATE. N 'i" OFF-ICE CHECK SWING HINGE George .Riemer, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 19, 194.6, Serial No. 642,245

3 Claims. (01. 16 -84) This invention relates to improvements in hinges, and :more particularly to hinges having embodied therein means for checking the swinging movement of 'a hinged part. While the invention is susceptible of other uses, the device herein described is designed for application to a toilet seat and toilet seat cover, the function of .the hinge being that of preventing the seat and cover from dropping down on the toilet bowl with excessive force, which might damage the bowl :or the seat or cover.

The main objects of the invention are to provide a hinge structure for the purpose indicated, which will permit the seat, cover or other similarly hinged part, to be freely swung to an open position, but which will automatically check the closing movement of the hinged part so as to prevent undue slamming thereof to its closed position; to provide such a hinged structure which, notwithstanding its movement checking function, will permit the hinged part to move rapidly toward-s its closed position and effect checking of such movement towards the end of the closing movement; to provide a structure of the character indicated which will be of relatively simple and durable construction, and which will not readily get out of order and, in

general, it is the object of the invention to provide an improved check swing hinge of the character indicated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawing, wherein a selected embodiment of the improved check swing hinge is illustrated as applied to a toilet seat and cover, the hinged structure thus being a double hinge.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a plan of the rear or hinged portion of a toilet seat and cover;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 4 and 5 are side elevations of pistons forming part of the structure and appearing in section in Fig. 3, and

Fig. -6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3.

The check swing hinged structure herein shown, comprises a normally stationary pintle tube I supported in standards or posts, such as represented at 2, the same having lower end portions formed to be attached to a portion of a toiletbowl, or the like, represented at 3.

The said supporting posts have upper ring formations represented at 4, Which fit snugly around thetube ,l as best shown in Fig.3. .The

tube is held against rotation in the rings at by means of screws 5 which pass through the rings and through suitable holes in the tube and into normally stationary nuts 6 on th inside of'the tube.

In the arrangement shown, the toilet seat .1 has secured to it av hinge member .8, which is formed to provide a plate part adapted to .be secured to the bottom side of the .seat I and a pair of spaced rings l0l0, which fit rotatably around the outside of the pintle tube 1. The seat 1 is thus pivotally mounted on the tube 1.

In the arrangement shown, the ring H] at th right hand side of the structure is connected to means;within the pintle tube l for regulating the closing movement of the seat. This means comprises a piston II which is rotatably and longitudinally slidable in the pintle tube, the inner end of the piston being in this instance equipped with a leather or other suitable :cup washer [2. The washer I2 is secured to the piston by means of a screw l3, suitable washers hi and It being disposed on opposite .sides :of the washer as shown.

The screw l3 has an axially disposed opening l6 extending communication between the exterior .of themeton and an axially disposed opening I! which extends through the piston. A screw 18 .is threaded into the outer end of the opening :l'! and constitutes a means for regulating the flow of air from the inner end of said piston through said opening IT and through the outer end .of the piston.

The piston H is provided with an axially parallel slot is in its surface and guide element 2.0 fitting slidably in said slot I9 is held in fixed relation to the ring Ill which turns with the seat. The guide 2% is so held by means of a screw 2! which is threaded into an opening extending through the ring It! and provided at its inner end with a reduced diameter portion 22 which fits into an opening provided'in'the guide element 20.

When the seat 1 and ring 10 are swung about the pivot tube l, the guide element 20 will transmit the rotary movement of said ring I!) to the piston l I so that the latter rotates in unison with the ring H3. The pintle tube l is provided withra slot 2la for permitting the screw 2| to travel about the pintle tube in the manner indicated.

The nut 5 which isanchored to the stationary supporting ring 2 is received in-a spirally arranged groove .23 which -.causes:the piston ll ltorslide therethrough and establishing 3 lengthwise of the tube 1 incident to the rotary movement of the piston.

When the seat 1 is in its down position as illustrated in Fig. 2, the piston H is in its inwardly disposed position as illustrated in Fi 3. When the seat is raised to an upwardly extending position, the piston will be moved outwardly causing air to flow past the screw I8 through the opening H in the piston and through the restricted opening It in the screw l3 to the chamber 24 left in the pintle tube I at the inner end of the piston.

In a double hinged structure as herein shown, a wall 25 may advantageously be provided to close one end of said chamber independently of the other piston structure shown. The opening or upward swinging movement of the seat is normally manually controlled throughout its movement and the air flow resistance resulting from the restricted opening l6 and from the valve efiect of the screw 18, is insuflicient to offer effective resistance to such manual opening of the seat. Furthermore, the main body of the piston may be a fairly free fit within the cylinder, permitting air to readily leak past the piston from the outer end of the cylinder to the inner portion thereof, the cup washe l2 facing towards the inner portion of the cylinder so as to permit such free leakage of air inwardly past said washer.

When the seat is closed, if it be released from manual control at such a point where gravity would normally cause the seat to continue its downward swinging movement, the resulting inward movement of the piston will tend to compress the air in the chamber 24 to thereby check such downward swinging movement. The cupped washer i2 will, of course, be somewhat expanded by the air pressure which is then developed against its concave side and will prevent leakage of air past the washer to a degree which is sufiicient to insure development of the required air pressure to effectively check the inward movement of the piston and the rotary closing movement of the part connected to said piston. The first portion of the downward swinging movement will not be materially retarded inasmuch as the air in the chamber 24 will not offer substantial resistance to inward movement of the piston until it has been compressed to a substantial degree. Such compression cannot be built up to an extent which would prevent the seat from closing since the pressure is relieved by the escape of air from the chamber 2 3 through said restricted opening 16 and the restricted passage determined by the setting of the screw I8 in the opening n. It is practicable to eliminate the screw IB and to substitute therefor merely an opening of predetermined restricted size or to make the opening 16 of such small size that it will produce the desired retarded closing effect on the hinged part. However, in order that the action may be somewhat adjustable to suit various requirements, the adjusting screw I8 is desirably provided and, as shown, it consists of a conventional screw, the head of which may be adjusted to or from the bottom of the counterbored opening portion l'ia to regulate the flow of air between said head and the bottom of said counterbored opening portion. It will be understood that air may flow around the threads of the screw with sufficient freedom to permit the freest air movement desired through said opening H and that in any event, the screw l8 may have a small air channel 26 provided therein, if desired, to facilitate the flow of air lengthwise of the screw. As a practical matter, such channel has not been found necessary.

The cover member 21 of the structure is pivotally mounted on the pintle tube I by means of a hinge element comprising an attaching plate 28 and spaced ring portions 29 formed integrally with such mounting plate portion 28. The ring portions 29 fit rotatably on the tube l and correspond to the ring portions [0 of the seat hinge member 8. The cover hinge ring 29 is operatively connected to a piston 30 disposed within the pivot tube I, the piston 36 being a duplicate of the piston H except that it is a reversed or left hand arrangement if the piston II is considered a right hand piston. When the cover 21 is swung upwardly to an open position, the piston 30 is moved outwardly and when the cover is swung downwardly towards closed position, the piston 30 is moved inwardly, i. e., towards the center of the tube, the flow of air between the chamber 3| between the inner end of the piston and the wall 25 and the chamber 32 at the outer end of the piston, being controlled in the same manner as explained above in respect of the seat controlling piston.

The ends of the pintle tube 1 are desirably closed by caps 33 which are screw threaded on the ends of the pintle tube.

Various changes in the described details of construction may be made Without departing from the invention.

I claim:

1. A check swing hinge comprising a normally stationary cylinder, means for so supporting said cylinder, a piston rotatably and longitudinally slidably disposed in said cylinder, a ring journalled on said cylinder intermediate the ends, and in substantially fixed position axially of said cylinder, means interconnecting said ring and said piston comprising a pin anchored in said ring and projecting inwardly therefrom into said cylinder, the latter being provided with a circumferentially extending slot permitting the passage of said pin into the cylinder as aforesaid and movement of said ring and pin circumferentially of said cylinder, said piston having a surface slot receiving said pin so as to cause said piston to rotate in unison with any rotary movement of said ring, means for effecting longitudinal movement of said piston as an incident to such rotary movement thereof, means closing one end of said cylinder, and means for restricting the flow of air from the closed end portion of said cylinder on one side of said piston to the cylinder portion on the other side of said piston as an incident to its longitudinal movement in the cylinder, thereby restraining longitudinal movement of said piston and rotary movement of said ring about said cylinder, and means carried by said ring to facilitate attachment thereof to a member which is to be supported for restrained pivotal movement.

2. A check swing hinge comprising a normally stationary cylinder, means for so supporting said cylinder, a piston rotatably and longitudinally slidably disposed in said cylinder, a ring journalled on said cylinder intermediate the ends, and in substantially fixed position axially of said cylinder, means interconnecting said ring and said piston comprising a pin anchored in said ring and projecting inwardly therefrom into said cylinder, the latter being provided with a circumferentially extending slot permitting the passage of said pin into the cylinder as aforesaid and movement of said ring and pin circumferentially of said cylinder, said piston having a surface slot receiving said pin so as to cause said piston to rolate in unison with any rotary movement of said ring, means for efiecting longitudinal movement of said piston as an incident to such rotary movement thereof, means closing one end of said cylinder, said piston being provided with a passageway which, when the piston moves longitudinally in the cylinder, permits restricted flow of fluid from the cylinder portion on one side of said piston to the cylinder portion on the other side of said piston, said piston also having a cupped washer permitting relatively free leakage of fluid in one direction between said piston and cylinder but operative to prevent significant leakage in the other direction, whereby longitudinal movement of said piston in one direction is restrained, thereby also restraining rotary movement of said ring about said cylinder, and means carried by said ring to facilitate attachment thereof to a member which is to be supported for restrained pivotal movement.

3. An axially horizontal hinge for a toilet seat and cover, comprising a normally stationary cylinder, means for so supporting said cylinder, seat and cover mounting brackets each comprising a pair of spaced rings rigidly secured to the seat and cover respectively, said rings being rotatably mounted on the outside of said cylinder intermediate its ends, a pair of pistons independently rotatable and independently longitudinally movable within said cylinder, means connecting one of said seat mounting bracket rings to one of said pistons and means connecting one of said cover mounting bracket rings to the other of said pistons, each of said connecting means comprising a pin anchored in the ring and projecting inwardly therefrom into said cylinder, the latter being provided with circumferentially extending slots respectively permitting the passage of the respective pins into the cylinder as aforesaid and movement of the respective rings and pins circumferentially of said cylinder, said pistons having slots therein respectively receiving the inwardly projecting portions of said pins so as to cause said pistons to rotate in unison with any rotary movement of the respective rings, means for efiecting longitudinal movement of said pistons as an incident to rotary movement thereof, said pistons each being provided with a passageway which, when the piston moves longitudinally of the cylinder permits restricted flow of fluid from the cylinder portion on one side of the piston to the cylinder portion on the other side of said piston, and said pistons each being provided with a cupped washer permitting relatively free leakage of fluid in one direction between said cylinder and piston but operative to prevent significant leakage in the other direction, thereby restraining said longitudinal piston movement in one direction and complimentary movement of the movable parts respectively associated with said pistons.

GEQRGE RIEMER,

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,993,625 Riemer et al Mar. 5, 1935 2,200,418 Dudley May 14, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 32,497 Sweden Mar. 20, 1912 604,172 Germany Oct. 16, 1934 

